How Do Leaves Change Color In The Fall

Learn how leaf pigments, length of night, and weather affect the color changes in autumn leaves. Find out which species produce which colors and how they protect themselves from winter. Darker red leaves are the result of a chemical change: Sugars that can get trapped in the leaves produce new pigments (called anthocyanins) that weren't part of the leaf in the growing season.

Some trees, like oaks and dogwoods, are likely to produce red leaves. The peak dates for fall foliage in the U.S. vary from region to region.

Colors change first in the North and in higher elevations, then spread south and to lower elevations. Explore why leaves change color in fall, the role of sunlight and pigments, and top tips for spotting the brightest autumn foliage this season. Leaves change color during the autumn because the amounts of pigments change as the leaves prepare to fall from the trees.

All leaves gradually lose chlorophyll during the growing season, and this loss accelerates before leaf fall. In many places around the world, autumn is marked by the slow, beautiful change of green foliage to vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and purples. The color change culminates in leaf abscission, the shedding of leaves from the tree.

This protective mechanism allows deciduous trees to conserve water and energy during winter. Have you ever wondered why leaves change from green to an amazing array of yellow, orange and red hues during the fall? Leaves get their brilliant colors from pigments made up of various color-creating molecules. During the warm, sunny months, plants use their leaves to turn sunlight into food energy, a process called photosynthesis.

Why do leaves change color in the fall? Learn the science behind fall foliage and why leaves turn red, orange, yellow and purple during autumn. Admiring the vibrant red leaves that add so much color to Acadia's fall landscape. NPS Photo/Hadley Seymour When the temperature drops and there is less daylight, the tree begins to conserve the energy it generated in the spring and summer months.

One way trees save energy for winter is by dropping their leaves. As autumn progresses, a tree will send a substance to each leaf called an enzyme.